DO levels drop to below 1mg/litre, dead fish surface at Ulsoor Lake again

The pre-monsoon showers brought relief to Bengalureans last week but played havoc with thousands of dead fishes who washed ashore Ulsoor Lake.

The locals alleged that the fish death occurred about three to four days ago but wasn’t noticed till the dead fish accumulated in the corners of the lake, different from last times fish death spot which occurred two months ago.

Major parts of the water body located in the heart of the city have been covered in layers of garbage and is reeking of filth as observed on Tuesday afternoon.

K SPCB officials went to the spot in the wee hours and measured the Dissolved Oxygen (DO) levels. Lakshman, Chairman of KSPCB said, “The DO levels on Tuesday were below 1mg/litre while the limit set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is 4mg/litre."

He added, "The STP plant will be built on priority basis but right now we have instructed the contractors to clean everything up quickly.”
Ram Prasad, a member of Friends of Lakes, described how grim the situation of the lake was.

“All the stagnated sewage was pushed forward and entered the lake which was one of the major reasons the DO levels dropped. What happened to all the promises made by the different stakeholders?” questioned Ram.

The factors responsible for fish mortality includes higher temperature, untreated waste, low dissolved oxygen and ammonia poisoning.
The previous fish kill occurred on March 7 in the same lake.